April 2013

Issue#2

YAH GOTTA READ THIS!

Helping talented Indie Authors is what we do best!
April 2013 Features:
Editors Note 2

Author, Panos Nomikos 3 Author, Bruce Allen 5

Author, Mycroft Magnusson 6

Author, Meltem Y. K 6 We help promote everything Indie. We believe that there are a lot of great and talented authors who need to be recognized, and we want to help them! Asli & Havva

Author, Scott Pixello 6

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Editors Note:
Hello Readers, What an amazing response we had for the first issue of "Yah Gotta Read This!" magazine! It was so exciting to see all the interest from readers and authors alike. We are excited to present to you the following authors and their work, in this second issue of the magazine: Panos Nomikos Bruce Allen Mycroft Magnusson Meltem Y. K All these authors have written something great and to be proud of, and we are excited about being able to help them showcase their work. As mentioned previously, we love nothing more than helping promote EVERYTHING indie. If you are interested in writing an article or short story to help promote yourself or your book, for the magazine or having yourself and your book featured in the magazine, please contact us at: ygrtmagazine@gmail.com Also, if you provide a service of any kind, that indie authors would benefit from, please contact us to inquire about placing an ad on our site: www.yahgottareadthis.blogspot.ca as well as in the magazine. We want to help promote your work too. Remember, we love hearing from you! If there is something you would like to see added in the magazine let us know. We truly hope you all enjoy reading the second issue of Yah Gotta Read This! magazine.

Asli Fratarcangeli Yah Gotta Read This! Co-founder aslifratarcangeli@gmail.com

Havva Kemal Yah Gotta Read This! Co-founder havvakemal@gmail.com

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Panos Nomikos, was born in 1961 in Athens, Greece, a beautiful country that has become lately the epicenter of the raging global financial crisis. During his carefree, youthful years, he roamed the idyllic islands of his home country having fun on the golden beaches under the sun with his friends and lovers. Later on, studing for a Ph.D. in the UK and started a career in Information Technology in the maritime sector, roaming again across the world on intercontinental business trips in faraway places in Asia, Europe and America. In the course of his career, he has authored numerous essays and articles in Get connected with Panos Nomikos: Webpage: http://panosnomikos.wordpress.com Facebook: Panos Nomikos Twitter: @PanosNomikos Book Title: Fateful Eyes Volume I This book is available to purchase at: www.amazon.com Synopsis: "Much to his chagrin, Peter has been on a tortuous and twisted path for fifteen years. As he moves through life in a foreign country without real satisfaction or achievement, he knows he is ready to reach the final destination of his journey. But it is only after he boards a plane to Frankfurt, Germany, that Peter finally feels he is on his way to solving a great puzzle. He is ready to end the search of a lifetime. Fateful Eyes is a story of one mans quest to comprehend fates dizzying gaze as he searches for love and true fulfillment." Author Q&A What inspired you to write your first book? I was born in 1961 in Athens, Greece. During my carefree, youthful years, I roamed the idyllic islands of my home country, having fun on the golden beaches under the sun, with my friends and lovers. Later on, I studied for a Ph.D. in the UK and I started a career in Information Technology in the maritime sector, roaming across the world on intercontinental business trips in faraway places in Asia, Europe and America. Witnessing first-hand and participating in the rapid socioeconomic developments that characterize the final decade of the previous century and the first years of the new millennium, from my professional standpoint, I wished to share all my observations and my opinions about the world-wide developments, one way or another. Moreover, the acute crisis that occurred in my home country, that again I am witnessing first-hand as it evolves around me on a daily basis, gave me an additional insight on how things can go terribly wrong, for a whole nation. I do maintain the position that, what has happened so far in Greece, is not unique to this country and, if the appropriate lessons are not learned by the educated world-wide elites, the intellectuals, the professionals, and the masses themselves, and if risk mitigation actions are not taken now rather than later, then I will not be surprised to see the same phenomena repeated again and again all over the world, including todays richest, industrialized countries. But how to spread the word about what has happened, and about what can go terribly wrong? I opted to follow my literary instinct. I wrote a novel, Fateful Eyes, where the protagonist, Peter, is a cosmopolitan Greek who grew up in Athens but who migrated to the UK. During his youthful years in College, apart from his numerous, passionate love affairs, he also participated fervently in the student movement of the early 80s that brought to power a leftwing-minded generation that is considered by many pundits today to have seeded the easy-going mentality and the other root causes of the countrys recent malaise. Peter wanders around Greece again in the golden era of the years 2002 2005, when Greece was accepted into the rich and exclusive Eurozone club, executed impeccably a hugely successful 2004 Olympic Games, and basked proudly in the spotlight of the global admiration, enjoying a prosperity that seemed, at that time, joyfully never-ending. Peter, never failing to apply his inquisitive mind on whatever happens around him, is of course hugely impressed by those miraculous achievements of his motherland, but he does not hesitate to look below the surface, to try to understand what is really happening in the country and what the future will really look like. Needless to say, what he finds is not encouraging at all, considering the unfortunate grave problems that resulted from that wrong-footed mentality. Moreover, Peter does not confine his investigations in Greece. He roams the whole world, crisscrossing all the continents, witnessing also the great upheavals that characterize the beginning of the new millennium, wars, financial crises, and the like, and pondering on their root-causes too, trying to understand where is the world heading to today.
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Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? I will reply with an extract from the book itself: And yet deep inside him he was surprised to find extra courage to keep fighting, to avoid collapsing. I will not let it crush me, he was telling himself every so often, I can do nothing other than keep fighting. There is no alternative. Even if we go bankrupt, even if I go to jail, I dont have any other option than to continue the struggle. Peter had always been an optimist. He believed in life. He was always striving to discover the inner beauty in the small and insignificant aspects of it. His friends teased him sometimes that he was excessively optimistic, or even naively optimistic. Whatever might be happening around him, however adverse a situation might be, he knew how to look around and draw strength from the mere fact that Marvelous Life was still moving along and that he continued taking part in its rituals. He was well aware that this blessing will someday have a definite and irrevocable ending. This realization gave him courage to continue. He understood that in his swirling journey in life everything is transient, temporary, both the good and the bad. He clinched his fists, accepted stoically every new hit, then took a deep breath and carried on. Against the tide, against the whole world who was trying to rip him apart he kept fighting with teeth and nails. There was no alternative. What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life? Fateful Eyes is a fiction novel, based on the contemporary developments in the world. It did not entail any research or logistical effort. The main challenge has been the language barrier. I am a Greek-speaker and English is a second language for me. Writing a work of literature in English has been a tall and possibly risky undertaking for me. Thankfully, the feedback that I have received so far from readers and reviewers did not point any issue whatsoever with my use of this language. On the contrary, I have received praise about using a rich vocabulary and prose, such as the comments from this reviewer: I found the generous use of adjectives at times too flowery and too elaborate, but I appreciate that without it the prose would not be as beautiful and poetic. Clearly the author has chosen this style to suit the theme of sentimentality and the emotional nature of his protagonist. Was there a character inspired by a real person? And if so, who? As I have already mentioned in the first question, I have been inspired by my own personal experiences when traveling around the world and getting acquainted with various people from various countries, who carried their own cultures and beliefs. What do you think happened to the characters after the book? This is the basic theme of the second volume of this novel, to be published soon. Get connected at http://panosnomikos.wordpress.com and stay tuned to find out. Participate in the online quiz to guess the final outcome in this puzzle and win big prizes. If applicable, how many books are there in the series? Fateful Eyes consists of two main volumes. A third book in the same series will be published later and will complete a trilogy. What are your current projects? Are you able to share any with us? I am currently very busy putting the finishing touches in the second volume of Fateful Eyes. What books have most influenced your life? The Odyssey by Homer and The Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. Do you have any advice for other indie authors? A successful indie author must combine the following: A very good book Must be ready to spend a considerable effort and amount of his time in marketing. Nobody is going to do this job, other than the author himself/herself. Luck Do you have anything specific you would like share with your readers? Fateful Eyes pivots around a puzzle, around Peters struggle to identify a mysterious lady who came from his distant past, and upset his life and his relationship with his adorable lover. Yet, the puzzle itself is not the essence of this novel. The puzzle is only a pretext to justify the exposure of Peters tortuous and twisted path in life, as well as to narrate the lives of everyone around him, as they all become unwittingly entangled into the rolling thunder of the worlds current upheavals, terrorism, wars, and economic crises. Like a modern Odyssey, the real essence of this novel is Peters long and tormenting journey towards his destination, towards the completion of his mission. As the great poet Constantinos Kavafis wrote when you set out on the path to Ithaki, wish for the journey to be long Peters struggle is indeed very long, hard, and yet, ultimately fulfilling.

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Author: Bruce Allen Get connected with Bruce Allen: Twitter: @brucethenomad, Facebook: www.facebook.com/formolly , Blog: http://brucethenomad.wordpress.com/ Brucethenomad: http://www.brucethenomad.com/bastories/ Author webpage: http://brucethenomad.wordpress.com/ I was unconsciously influenced by the renowned novel The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. I was in the sixth grade when my teacher, Mr. Knowles, assigned it as required reading. We discussed this in class, though I have no recollection of these discussions nor the novel. After recently rereading this book I began to analyze my life of lost relationships, few successes, several failures, and my subsequent depression. I still feel that I was less critical of my fellow students, friends, lovers, and family, than Holden Caufield. I was so self-centered that I didn't maintain close relationships with others unless in close physical proximity to them. I left several relationships and a couple of partners left me. I escaped from any relationship while I traveled in solitude. As therapy I began to write about my experiences while living and visiting several locales around the country. Most of my travels have occurred in the last few years, yet I have visited all but two states. My self-analysis involved my feelings about lost relationships. Depression is often associated to addictions; I had been depressed due to feeling guilty. Fortunately I did not develop addictions other than sustaining the feeling of guilt. I incorporated my past experiences and relationships with the situations and characters into my stories. More depression, then a developing catharsis happened with the more I wrote and the locales I visited. I finally understood what I had done to others and learned to forgive those who left me and forgave myself for causing the situations. My developing story themes touch on our human frailties and faults. Forgiveness plays a significant part as well. My goal is to share my stories with the public and hopefully provide them some pleasure in reading them. Author Q&A. What inspired you to write your first book? I incorporated some of my feelings into a character. I then placed him in an environment I was familiar with. The story developed from there. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Yes. Depression can be dealt with and possibly overcome to a point of normalcy. Was there a character inspired by a real person? And if so, who? ME! What do you think happened to the characters after the book? That is left for the next story with this character. If applicable, how many books are there in the series? Unknown. It depends upon public acceptance and critiques. What are your current projects? Are you able to share any with us? I had first started to write a novel, than realized I needed to write stories first. I do have two novels in the planning stages. What books have most influenced your life? Sci-Fi, Spy thrillers, Murder mysteries, and a few romance types. Do you have any advice for other indie authors? Write, write, just Do It. Do you have anything specific you would like share with your readers? Life is short, make the most of it. Synopsis: He has dealt with crime, corruption, mayhem and gang violence. After eleven years with the LAPD he is on disability and has the time to see and experience the wonders that this country has to offer. Bruce enjoys his semi-retirement as a free lance writer. He travels the country in his RV with his loyal companion, Molly. She is a seven year old black Lab. His current assignment brings him to the picturesque area of the Napa Valley wine country. While attending a fund raising wine tasting his eleven years as a homicide detective with the LAPD puts him in the middle of a murder investigation. After the crime he meets Alicia, a senior agent with the California Bureau of Investigation and assists with solving this mystery. She and Bruce become romantically attracted with interesting results. The challenge is to remain focused on solving the murder that has nearly two hundred potential suspects. Twists and turns between denials and confessions makes this an

Where to purchase your copy: www.amazon.com & www.smashwords.com

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Author: Mycroft Magnusson Title: Sweet Money Won Where you can purchase your copy: http://www.amazon.com Website: www.mycroftmagnusson.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/MycroftMag Facebook: www.facebook.com/MycroftMagnusson Synopsis: Rick and Liam are small-time con artists from the Koreatown section of Los Angeles, who can't seem to catch a breakthese low-rent grifters spend much of their time healing from the beatings dished out by disgruntled victims of their scams. As if the pairs troubles werent serious enough, Rick is addicted to internet pornography. He falls in love with Amethyst, a mysterious web-cam girl he meets online. For his part, Liam has a gambling problem, which centers on a lifelong devotion to the New England Patriots. When Rick learns his new love has been forced into prostitution by a gang of Russian sex-traffickers, he sets out to save her. To do this, he must betray his longtime partner and steal their life savings, which Liam has just bet on his beloved Patriots. Things go horribly wrong, and the two friends find themselves scrambling for cash to stave off their leg-breaking Korean bookies. With only three days to raise all the money, the partnersalong with Amethysthatch a desperate scheme to blackmail a philandering US congressman. Can they pull off their audacious plan, or will jealousy and suspicion tear them apart? Finally, what is the web-cam girls dark secret, and can these two screw-ups survive long enough to learn the terrible truth? Its all-in for Rick and Liamset against the backdrop of the Great Recession, Sweet Money Won is a sexy, funny crime thriller, balancing character-driven suspense with a comic portrait of masculinity in crisis.

Author: Meltem Y. K Title: The Astral Ordinance, Book I Get your FREE copy at: http://www.smashwords.com Website: www.meltemyk.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/MeltemY_K Facebook: www.facebook.com/Meltemyk Synopsis: Jayna is about to graduate from high school and embark on an exciting journey in higher education or so she thinks. In the wee hours of one fateful night she finds herself in the middle of a battle with demons. She assumes its a nightmare; a young warrior, Ethan Wells, convinces her otherwise. Jayna discovers that she is an evolved human who can travel between dimensions and is also capable of extinguishing demons. She is a prime candidate for the Astral army. An innocent firstlove blossoms between Jayna and Ethan. They become partners in the Astral army against demons and other forms of evil. Ethan is in charge of her training; they spend the next few years as carefree college students by day, demon fighters by night. However, there is a small glitch in their happiness: They are forbidden by the Astral Masters to see each other on Earth. As much as they love one another, they cannot be together in their physical forms. However, the Astral Plane is about to have a first.

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